Little Rock might accept a Valley invite but I don't think it's an automatic.
They have two short bus drives in the Sun Belt, they've been able to reach the NCAA second round out of the Sun Belt (did it last year).
They generate extra money by playing Arkansas State, not just from tickets, but from sponsorship. Every year they have a sponsor who awards a trophy to the winner of the AState-UALR game played in Little Rock

Sun Belt adopted a policy requiring 15 sports, UALR dropped women's tennis to go down to 14 and the rule has never been enforced, I guess because everyone understands that being in the UA System they have less financial freedom than most schools. Dropping women's tennis for financial reasons doesn't scream, we are willing to increase travel and potentially lose our most profitable game.

(03-18-2017 11:21 PM)arkstfan Wrote: Little Rock might accept a Valley invite but I don't think it's an automatic.
They have two short bus drives in the Sun Belt, they've been able to reach the NCAA second round out of the Sun Belt (did it last year).
They generate extra money by playing Arkansas State, not just from tickets, but from sponsorship. Every year they have a sponsor who awards a trophy to the winner of the AState-UALR game played in Little Rock

Sun Belt adopted a policy requiring 15 sports, UALR dropped women's tennis to go down to 14 and the rule has never been enforced, I guess because everyone understands that being in the UA System they have less financial freedom than most schools. Dropping women's tennis for financial reasons doesn't scream, we are willing to increase travel and potentially lose our most profitable game.

Little Rock would be an interesting play for the MVC.

Last time I would note the MVC picked the most "old school" basketball school it could find in Loyola-Chicago. They were great at one time.

Little Rock, OTOH was never really anything save a couple of good seasons, IMO.

If the American adds Wichita State, Dayton, and Virginia Commonwealth, would Saint Louis bolt for the MVC, or would the A-10 possibly poach the MVC for one or two schools closer to Saint Louis?

If the A-10 goes strictly by the ability to make the tournament, Northern Iowa has the most appearances of the remaining MVC members at 10, with the last being in 2016. Bradley is the next down the list at 8 appearances, but the last one was in 2006. There would also be the option of adding Missouri State (6 appearances, last in 1999) as well, which may help somewhat with engaging the markets in Saint Louis and Kansas City now that there are two schools in the state of Missouri in the conference. I could also see the A-10 picking a school like Belmont over any of the other MVC schools.

Of course the other option is to let Saint Louis walk, but I doubt they would have any interest in a depleted MVC. The Big East likely will not expand until a suitable 12th member develops, and that 12th member will need to be along the East Coast.

Saint Louis has a unique situation as its located at a major airline hub. Travel costs in the A10 are not the concern as it is at Evansville which is 2 hours from a major airport.

Personally, I think that combo should be Wichita, Saint Louis and Dayton. That would keep Cincinnati and Dayton in the same division for travel.

One possible option for the A10 is to go with Belmont and Southern Illinois. If SIU and Wichita left that would place pressure on Missouri State to find a home somewhere more suitable geographically like the the Sun Belt.

The A10 could also look at Old Dominion because of travel over the far flung CUSA configuration.

Buffalo would be a nice pickup for the A10. They've established a good basketball program in the MAC.

Ohio feels kinship with the MVC. They hosted and defeated Loyola-Chicago when they were ranked #1 in the country. The smaller college towns of the MVC are appealing to be aligned with. Played Illinois State in the NCAA tourney one time. It has an old school basketball tradition that fits into the tradition of the MVC.

The A10/MVC should look at picking off a few FBS schools this time around. With Army, Umass, Liberty and possibly UConn all playing Indy in the East its becoming easier to do the Eastern Independent thing again, particularly if a couple of schools can make the break at one time.

(03-17-2017 11:11 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote: but I wouldn't assume that Missouri State bolts (AKA I don't think they're moving up to FBS).

If a Sun Belt invite suddenly materialized, they'd be plain stupid not to go for it. The MVC wouldn't exactly be trending up, and MO St MBB hasn't exactly managed to restoke the fires of its past success, even with a great newish arena.

Winning the Sun Belt could be the jolt that the MBB would need. And FBS would bring new interest in football, possibly with a "rivalry" of sorts with Ark St. (at least as much interest in Mizzou vs Ark, in the SEC, right??)

The actual problem is, that Sun Belt ship sailed. I do think MO St could've beat out Coastal ... but as is always, always, always the case for every school, the admin just didn't have the vision and just couldn't see what was going to happen to the MVC as far as losing Tulsa, Creighton, and now WSU.

(03-18-2017 01:18 PM)SubGod22 Wrote: But if the dominoes start to go, UNI would do what they could to jump to the MAC and go FBS.

I believe UNI stuck its wrestling program in the MAC, instead of the Big 12 with all the rest of the schools it should be with, for this very chance.

Would the MAC be willing to pair N Illinois with N Iowa -- a 250 mile bus trip -- and force the rest of the Ohio/Michigan members to make more trips east of Indiana?

(03-19-2017 10:23 AM)Kittonhead Wrote: Saint Louis has a unique situation as its located at a major airline hub. Travel costs in the A10 are not the concern

Plus I still think STL is hanging onto the dream of joining the Big East, and so it feels it must maintain membership in the Big East's Triple-A affiliate league, the A10.